What's happening at the US border

What you need to know

What's happening: Trump's zero-tolerance policy led to family separations at the border. He signed an executive order to address this, but it's unclear what happens to the more than 2,000 kids who have been separated.

In Congress: The House rejected one of two immigration bills. We're expecting a vote on the second one next week — although the President tweeted that Republicans "should stop wasting their time" on the effort.

Your story: Have you or someone you know been affected by family separations at the US border? CNN's reporters want to hear about it. You can reach us by sending a text, WhatsApp message or iMessage to CNN at +1 347-322-0415.

Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of the Trump administration's practice of taking undocumented immigrant children from their families and putting them in government facilities on US borders, according to a CNN poll conducted by SSRS. Only 28% approve.

But not among Republicans: There is majority support for the policy that has resulted in an uptick of children being separated from their families.

The separations are the end result of the administration's "zero tolerance" policy of criminally charging people who cross the border illegally.

The new poll numbers follow harsh criticism that President Donald Trump and the Republican Party are receiving after implementing the new policy.

4:04 p.m. ET, June 18, 2018

Why are families being separated?

YOUR QUESTIONS, ANSWERED

The Trump administration announced a new policy in May, saying authorities would criminally prosecute anyone who crosses the border illegally. The result: While they face prosecution, parents are now held in federal prisons -- where their children can't be held with them.

Previous administrations largely opted not to pursue criminal charges against people who crossed illegally with children, referring them instead mostly to immigration courts.

From CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet

4:02 p.m. ET, June 18, 2018

Nancy Pelosi: Family separation is "barbaric" and "challenges the conscience of our country"

Alex Wong/Getty Images

Separating children from their parents is a “heartbreaking, barbaric issue that could be changed in a moment by the President of the United States rescinding his action, House minority leader Nancy Pelosi said at a press conference at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in San Diego.

She said it “challenges the conscience of our country” and “must be changed immediately."

“This is not an immigration issue," Pelosi said, "this is a humanitarian issue."

“We will be persisting in getting the information that we need to make sure the American people understand that their values are on the line,” the Congresswoman said.

3:19 p.m. ET, June 18, 2018

New York won't send its National Guard to the border

New York state will not deploy the National Guard to the border, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday, citing the treatment of families at the border as a “moral outrage and an affront to the values that built this state and this nation.”

"In the face of this ongoing human tragedy, let me be very clear: New York will not be party to this inhumane treatment of immigrant families,” Cuomo said in a statement. “We will not deploy National Guard to the border, and we will not be complicit in a political agenda that governs by fear and division.”

The New York news came just after Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s office announced that governor had directed his state's National Guard not to send any assets or personnel to the border, also citing the family separation issue.

2:57 p.m. ET, June 18, 2018

Democratic senator demands Homeland Security chief resigns

Sen. Kamala Harris said that Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen should resign as outrage over the White House's "zero tolerance" immigration policy, which has separated undocumented parents and children, grows.

Harris, a Democrat, sits on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, which has oversight of DHS.

Here's her tweet:

Earlier today, Nielsen defended the immigration policy, saying, "We will not apologize for the job we do."

You can watch more of her comments in the video below:

2:26 p.m. ET, June 18, 2018

Clinton: I warned you Trump's immigration policies would lead to this

From CNN’s Dan Merica

Hillary Clinton told an audience of women in New York on Monday that separating families are the border is a “moral and humanitarian crisis” and that “every human being with a sense of compassion and decency should be outraged.”

Clinton also took on Trump directly, saying his argument that the separations are a result of the “Democrats law” is an “outright lie.”

“What is happening to families at the border is horrific, nursing infants being ripped away from their mothers, parents being told their toddlers are being taken to bathe or play only to realizes hours later they aren’t coming back, children incarcerated in warehouses and, according to one account, kept in cages,” Clinton said.

She added:

“You know, I warned about this during the debates and on the campaign trail, that Trump’s immigration policies would result in families being separated, and parents being sent away from the children, people being rounded up and loaded into trains and busses and now as we watch with broken hearts, that is exactly what is happening. And let’s be very clear, this is not happening because of the quote “Democrats law” as the White House has claimed. Separating families is not mandated by law at all. That is an outright lie.”

Clinton also slammed Trump to his tweets on Germany this morning, labeling them as the “President’s attempt today to stoke fear."

2:14 p.m. ET, June 18, 2018

Michelle Obama backs Laura Bush: "Sometimes truth transcends party"

Former first lady Laura Bush has spoken out about the separation of families on the US border, writing a harsh criticism of the current zero-tolerance immigration policy being enforced under the Trump administration and tweeting that it was "immoral."

Florida governor blames Washington for family separations

From CNN's Tina Burnside

Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who is running for US Senate, blamed "many years of bi-partisan inaction" for the immigration policies prompting the separations of undocumented parents and kids. (The "zero-tolerance" policy was implemented by the Trump administration.)

"Let me be clear – I do not favor separating families. Washington is to blame for this by being all talk and no action, and the solution is to secure the border," Scott said in a statement.

Here's the full statement:

“What the country is witnessing right now is the byproduct of the many years of bi-partisan inaction and failure from our federal government. They have failed to secure our borders, which has resulted in this chaos. Let me be clear – I do not favor separating families. Washington is to blame for this by being all talk and no action, and the solution is to secure the border. Anyone seeking to enter our country illegally needs to be sent back, with the exception of those who are truly seeking asylum from an oppressive regime.”

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, signed an executive order limiting use of state resources "to separate children from parents or legal guardians on sole ground of immigration status."

“The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s policy and practice of separating children from their parents when arriving at the southern border is offensive to our core values as Coloradans and as a country,” the executive order states.

Hickenlooper also sent Congressional leaders a letter urging they take action that would stop the policy.